In 1963 and 1964, I was with HS-5. At that time they were out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island. They had just converted to the new jet helo's and were in a transition or training period. I Came there from NAS Pensacola FL Because I lived in CT and my wife had a baby that was born Premature and not expected to live.

We were attached to the USS Lake Champlain CVS-39 at that time. To the best of my knowledge it was the only straight deck carrier still commissioned.

When we finally went to sea, the first cruise was supposed to be a med cruise. We got as far as the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland to pick up some midshipmen and was hit broadside at 3am (0300) by a Norwegian freighter And so we returned to Boston for repairs. The Next cruise we ran over a destroyer during a Re-Fueling Operation, the USS Decatur DD-936. [On 6 May 1964, while operating in an ASW exercise off the Virginia Capes, the USS Decatur DD-936 suffered severe superstructure damage. Both masts were lost over the side and the bridge and both stacks were crushed, remarkably injuring only one sailor in a collision with Lake Champlain CVS-39.] Again the ship was returned to Boston for repairs. On the next cruise one of our helos was taking off, it lifted off the deck about 100 Feet lost power and dropped like a sack of potatoes, back onto the deck.

After that my time was up and I was discharged in August of 1964.